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Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China plans to build Hainan into pilot free trade zone

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Friday a decision to build the whole island of Hainan into a pilot free trade zone.

The Communist Party of China Central Committee has decided to support Hainan in building the whole island into a pilot free trade zone, gradually exploring and steadily promoting the establishment of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, and promulgating policies and institutional systems for the free trade port step by step and in stages, Xi said at a gathering celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of Hainan Province and the Hainan Special Economic Zone.

Xi urged the province to give priority to opening up, implement a more proactive opening-up strategy, speed up the establishment of a new system for open economy, and promote the formation of a new pattern of opening up in an all-round way. (Xinhua)

Taiwan Affairs Office: China capable of thwarting any Taiwan secession attempts

Chinese mainland has a strong will, full confidence and sufficient capacity to thwart any form of “Taiwan independence” secessionist attempts and acts, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said on Friday.

The remark was made in response to the new announcement that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will conduct a live-fire drill in the waters of the Taiwan Strait on April 18. (CGTN)

China sends delegation to North Korea’s April Spring Friendship Art Festival

The 31st April Spring Friendship Art Festival kicked off on Wednesday in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. The event commemorates North Korea’s late founder Kim Il Sung, whose birthday falls on April 15.

China sent its delegation led by the director of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, Song Tao.

Chinese delegations have been invited to the festival several times previously.

This year, the National Ballet of China is bringing its classic work – "The Red Detachment of Women" – to the event. The production combines ballet and Chinese folk dancing and portrays a bright and brave image of China's female soldiers during its civil and liberation war. (CGTN)

Russia accuses Boris Johnson of ‘distorting’ poisoning results

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday accused his British counterpart of distorting the narrative of the world chemical watchdog's investigation results of a poisoned former spy.

On Thursday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said it confirmed the UK’s findings on the identity of the toxic chemical used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter but made no assessment on who was to blame.

"I will underline that the OPCW confirmed only the contents of the chemical substance," Lavrov said. (People’s Daily app)

Mexico follows US’s lead to send more troops to southern border

Mexico’s government announced it will be increasing its security on its southern border to prevent undocumented migrants from Central and South America from entering the country.

Mexican Secretary of the Interior Alfonso Navarrete said they would be strengthening its border patrols for the state of Chiapas after meeting with its governor.

The decision made by the Mexican government is considered a response to remarks made by US President Donald Trump, who was infuriated at a recent caravan of 1,000 Honduran and Central American immigrants that entered the US through Mexico. (People’s Daily app)

China’s ‘Lunar Palace’ to open to the public

Yuegong-1, a sealed and self-contained laboratory simulating a moon-like environment, will be open to the public on April 21 and 22 at Beihang University.

Visitors can make reservations via email starting April 13 and those who get approved will receive a confirmation to visit the lab for up to 30 minutes.

Beihang University Professor Liu Hong called the lab, which is China’s first bio-regenerative life-support system, the most advanced technology capable of providing a habitable environment similar to the Earth's biosphere for space missions. (People’s Daily app)

New York Times publishes obituary of Chinese architect, 63 years after her death

The New York Times published an obituary on Friday for Chinese architect and scholar Lin Huiyin, who died in 1955, detailing her life and contributions in studying ancient Chinese architecture.

In 1928, Lin married famous architect Liang Sicheng and together they saved many remote and dilapidated ancient buildings and designed the National Emblem of the People’s Republic of China and the Monument to the People’s Heroes.

According to the newspaper, Lin’s obituary is part of a new series of obituaries to “tell the stories of women who left indelible marks on society, but whose deaths went unremarked by our newspaper.”

The series of belated obituaries has also covered the life of Qiu Jin, described as “A feminist poet and revolutionary who became a martyr known as China’s ‘Joan of Arc.’” (People’s Daily app)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

Today’s quote is from poet William Shakespeare:

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Ziyi Zeng, and Raymond Mendoza.)